The present invention is directed to tethered model airplanes and, more particularly, is directed to electrically powered airplanes operating around a stationary central pylon.
Typically, most tethered model airplanes are gasoline powered, requiring continual maintenance and care to operate. The gasoline engine must be cleaned periodically to insure that it provides good performance. Since these gasoline engines are small and carry little fuel at a time, the length of flight is limited.
The requirement to refuel the airplane is not only burdensome and time consuming, but also presents a source of potential danger, Consequently, the use of such planes is left to either older teenage children or adults. Such special handling of the airplane, with the requirement for gasoline and constant maintenance, eliminates the safe and practical use by smaller children and discourages use by any who are not the most avid hobbyists.
In addition, most tethered model airplanes require specialized skills to control the flight. Such dexterity is not in the grasp of the small child or occasional user. Since there are typically two separate lines for controlling the flight, the tether lines can become tangled by even the most skilled user. The control of these planes requires that the operator stand at the center of the circular flight path and rotate with the flight of the plane. This constant turning is uncomfortable for many users of such planes.
In many instances two users of such tethered gasoline planes desire to engage in aerial competition. However, each user is limited by the amount of gasoline his plane can carry, and further, the potential of the different tether lines becoming entangled increases.
Other types of prior art model airplanes include remote control units, eliminating the requirement for tether lines and, in some models, eliminating gasoline engines. However, these systems are usually quite expensive. and are used only by the most avid hobbyist.
Consequently, many individuals, both adults and children, do not have the opportunity to enjoy the operation of a tethered model airplane, because these planes are either too expensive, unsafe, require too much maintenance, or require too much skill to enjoy. There is a definite lack in the type of model airplanes available to satisfy the occasional family user.